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Technology in the classroom is a contentious subject. Talk to some teachers and they will point you to evidence suggesting there is no learning that can come from technology. Others live and breathe technology and cannot live without it. As far as the hardware goes, there are 1:1 programs, BYOD device programs and a host of alternative ways of delivering curriculum through Technology.

We want to hear what you think. Ideas, concerns, perspectives from the classrooms so that together, we can develop an understanding of what might work, what doesn’t work and how we can best use the technology we have available to us as educators.

What works for you?

What are some of the barriers in regard to the implementation of new technologies?

How might we move forward in use of iPad technology in the classroom?

What role might industry play in the implementation of technology in education?

Join the conversation and help us to learn together about an area that is new to many of

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I think there is at times a divide between what teachers want/expect from tech and how tech is implemented in the classroom. Exploration brings with it, risk. We cannot eliminate all danger from new technology but as a teacher, I want to play with and learn with the tech. I won't always get it right. I will always learn, though.

Natasha, can you specify what educational level you're most focused on here? Primary, secondary, tertiary? When talking about devices in classrooms, the organisation / structure one is working within can have a big impact on what is practical. E.g. class sizes, typical lesson length, who owns / supplies the devices, who maintains the devices, etc.

I teach secondary, mostly food (and a little innovation). I want to hear how other people are using tablets in their context, whatever that may be. If you don't use these devices, why not? And what would need to happen to change your thinking? For some, there may be little choice, but for others, there may be too much choice.

Happy to hear what you are thinking and how things are working/not working.

Not sure if this will be of interest; however, iPads (and other types of tablets) are being used successfully in classrooms in areas of Africa where more traditional numeracy and literacy teaching is either unavailable or over-stretched. To illustrate this, take a look at the Education Xprize (https://learning.xprize.org) and in particular (for iPads) https://onebillion.org
Informative video on the BBC (https://vimeo.com/107912551)

I find technology massively useful in the classroom. I don't think the type of device used is the primary concern. What comes first is classroom culture. If the classroom is a space where creative exploration and risk taking is encouraged, and students learn with a growth mindset through inquiry, then technology can be a wonderful tool to expand their learning. The tech should be a tool that students can use to explore and discover, but it should not replace collaborative engagement. This also depends on teachers adopting an exploitative and curious approach to learning themselves.

Absolutely agree that the type of device is not of primary concern. My number one Q prior to using any tech is 'Why'? Why do we need this technology? What problem will it solve?

In this instance I am playing with iPads as the tech and want to share this conversation. I want to know what is working, what isn't working and how we might better use this form of technology. What can the iPad/tablet do that cannot be done on a laptop? I love the idea of curiosity and that is what pushes me to learn. But I also need time to play!

From my experience of iPads in Australian HE, there are definitely benefits to the instructor-learner learner-instructor peer-peer communication they afford. Using polls and other data aggregation is a good attention-getter as learners like to see where their response fits within the group. They can provide an excellent back channel so that Instructors know what is still 'muddy' for learners and provide in-class in-time assistance. The more difficult aspects are the individualised nature of app purchases, and the variable compatibility issues if not everyone is using the same thing; potentially naughty students if you don't moderate responses; potential loss of anonymity. Students don't always like buying apps either (well, ones just for learning).

From a pedagogical perspective, the tech is really just an affordance to whatever your strategy is. There are quite a lot of "iPads in Higher Education" scoop.it boards with some good and specific ideas for apps in the classroom and beyond. Mobility and the multi-sensory capacities of iPads and similar devices are idea for capturing images, sounds and other data and reporting/remixing on the fly.

I've been encouraging students to use e-devices for ages - for the moment I can't remember when I started. There was reasonable uptake for a few years but this year the cohort reverted to print. Many opted to print their own lab manual as they could do this more cheaply that the hardcopy manual they are asked to buy - of course extra copies in the lab and library for students requiring these. Print has advantage of students being able to record their observations as drawings directly in the manual. I needed to navigate a equitable solution for the use of devices for the open-book prac exam, which was relatively straight-forward. I wanted to be in the trial for a proper e-manual (with the Library?) but was unsuccessful.

I agree with the above comments, but when using a tools like the iPad, it's shouldn't be only what educators expect from the tool itself or how it's being used in terms of the lesson/syllabus/curriculum. In all levels of education, when introducing iPads in the classroom, students and their needs should be considered. What the iPad can do is get students more engaged into lessons and be more creative for both individual and collaborative tasks. I've used iPads in an English Language and Eng. Literature context, according to the student needs.

For example, ESL Proficiency level and IELTS students are required to give a written and an oral exam, so for writing, they need to improve their vocabulary, have correct syntax and know the grammar. I'd use apps like My English Coach and Word Wit, while for improving their speaking skills, I'd get them on apps like Phonetics Focus. These apps are also good for adults.
Young learner needs are a little different, so in terms of iPad use, to get them motivated and upbeat about learning English, I use apps like Adventures for Kids.

So, using the iPad correctly in the context of the classroom requires to know your students well, so when the iPad is being used, they'll enjoy learning with it. I've had students who came up to me in a Creative Writing lesson and asked me, "Why do we use the iPad to do writing tasks all the time? Can't we do something else?" No student wants to feel bored in any class, so when using technologies like the iPad, you need to choose apps carefully, so as to not make the lesson a disappointing experience for yourself or your students. In the above example, the "something else" that "clicked" for them in terms of creativity were creative tools like Storybird (though this one is not an app but an educational website).

There's just a difficulty with the use of the iPad and it is not so much the tool itself and the apps that are being used. There's such a variety of educational apps on the App Store for educators and learners, that are easy to use, easy to learn. The difficulty is not the use of the iPad within a lesson/syllabus requirements either. In my opinion, it is knowing your students well and what works best for them in terms of technology, and fitting tech. like the iPad in your lesson in order to get students to work with such tools for their learning needs and be more motivated, happy, engaged and willing to learn in this way.